Act

Step 2: Act

2.A Where can I find the information I need to answer my question or for my research project?

• There are many places to find information, and your teacher and school library media specialist will assist you in this process. Information may be found in books, in online resources, or from experts you may interview.
  • To look for books:
    • Gilbert High School Library Media Center online catalog
    • Lexington County Library online catalog
  • To look for electronic resources:
    • DISCUS resources (Available for SC students and library patrons - ask library media center staff for logins and passwords.
    • Student Resource Center Gold (Available for Gilbert High School students - ask library media center staff for password)

2.B Which information source(s) will be the most helpful in answering my question? Which information source(s) will be most helpful for my research topic?

• Use this chart to help you select which online database(s) will help you search for your topic.

2.C What search strategy will work best for each information source?

• Steps in online searching
• Search strategies for the web and online databases.

2.D What do I do the the information I have found?

• Take Notes
  • Source cards
  • Note cards
  • Other note taking strategies

2.E How do I decide what I need from everything I've found?

• Be sure to keep your focus by looking back at the questions you asked.
• Develop a thesis statement.
• Organize your information to support your research goal. Possibilities include:
  • compare and contract
  • advantage and disadvantage
  • cause and effect
  • logical sequence
• Weed out information that does not support your research statement
• Continue searching for information needed to fill in the gaps.

2.F How do I investigate all these resources to make a decision about what I need?

• Remember that anyone can publish information in print or non-print formats.
• Just because something has been published doesn't make it truthful or accurate.
• Print materials found in your school library are selected by library media specialists who are trained in selection and purchase of quality materials.
• Online resources don't necessarily have a selection process, so you will need to ask yourself the following questions. (You might decide to use some of the answers to these questions if you need to create an annotated bibliography to explain your selection of sources.)
  • Is this information accurate?
  • Does this information support your research statement?
  • Who is the author of this information?
  • What qualifications does this individual have to publish information?
  • Who is paying for this information to be published?
  • Is the author(s) of this information biased?
  • When was this information published?

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Page created by Janet Boltjes on 10/14/2008.
Information modified from http://martha.alewine.googlepages.com/thesimplefour and http://www.horrycountyschools.net/students/resources/search_strategies___the_simple_four_/